The National Book Critics Circle recently announced the winners of its annual awards, celebrating outstanding literature from the past year. Among the winners is “We Do Not Part,” a powerful novel by Nobel Prize-winning author Han Kang, and “Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman’s OpenAI,” a thought-provoking nonfiction work by Karen Hao.
Han Kang’s novel, translated by e.yaewon and Paige Aniyah Morris, dives into a dark chapter of history: the Jeju uprising of 1948-1949, where thousands lost their lives. Heather Scott Partington, who led the fiction committee, described the book as “a work of blinding melancholy, bleak weather, and murmuring syntax.” She added that it “lingers like an atmospheric and arresting dream,” highlighting its emotional depth.
In recognition of her immense contributions to literature, the lifetime achievement award was awarded to Frances FitzGerald, whose influential work “Fire in the Lake,” published in 1972, provided a keen insight into the Vietnam War.
The awards also recognized notable institutions that support book culture, with NPR and PBS receiving an achievement award. Jacob M. Appel, who oversaw the selection process, praised these organizations for their significant impact on American democracy and literature, stating, “At a time when some question the value of public, service-minded media, we salute PBS and NPR for all you have done for both book culture and American democracy.”
Here are some other winners from this year’s awards:
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Karen Hao’s “Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman’s OpenAI” won for nonfiction.
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Arundhati Roy’s “Mother Mary Comes to Me” received the award for autobiography.
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Alex Green’s “A Perfect Turmoil: Walter E. Fernald and the Struggle to Care for America’s Disabled” was honored in the biography category.
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Kevin Young’s poetry collection “Night Watch” took the prize for poetry.
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The translation prize was awarded to “Sad Tiger” by Neige Sinno and translated by Natasha Lehrer.
Founded in 1974, the National Book Critics Circle consists of over 850 critics and editors dedicated to recognizing the best books published in the United States each year. These awards not only celebrate individual authors but also emphasize the importance of literature in shaping culture and society.
